Miron gains Democratic endorsement for 2nd-term

By Richard Weizel, STAFF WRITER

Published
1:50 pm EDT, Friday, August 28, 2009

STRATFORD -- After securing the nomination Thursday night to run for a second term at the Democrats' nominating caucus in the Baldwin Senior Center, Mayor James R. Miron entered the room in dramatic fashion, walking down the center aisle shaking hands and patting backs to a standing ovation.

The town's first mayor gained the unanimous endorsement Thursday night of the Democratic Town Committee to seek election to a second four-year term in November and was nominated with no opposition.

Miron quickly touted his accomplishments of improving the town's bond rating, keeping taxes low and moving long-stalled projects such as a new animal shelter.

Miron said he was proud of the party's 10-member council ticket for November that includes five women and one minority member, calling it "far more representative of Stratford's diversity" than the GOP ticket.

Miron said his GOP opponent, state Rep. John Harkins, R-Stratford "has an abysmal record on the environment," and has failed to secure funds for long-awaited repairs at the train center in the center of town.

"If my opponent and friend in Hartford (Harkins) cannot secure the needed funds for the train station renovations, then it looks like we'll have to work for it ourselves," Miron said. "But we have accomplished a great deal, despite 3 1/2 years of Republican obstructionism. We have improved our bonding rating, even during the worst recession of our time, we have moved to implement senior and veterans' tax relief, despite Republican opposition. And when you got your tax bills in the mail this year ... you found a tax decrease."

Miron also said the GOP has attacked him personally.

"It is the politics of personal destruction," Miron said. "But I am running again because the people of this town deserve nothing less than someone who will fight for all of them, not just a select few in some parts of town."

Harkins on Thursday strongly denied Miron's accusations, saying the mayor has "brought all of the criticism directed at him on himself" by creating nothing but controversies during his tenure as mayor, citing the recent scandal involving the mayor's hiring of Police Officer Justin LoSchiavo in 2006, despite warnings by doctors that the son of former Deputy Police Chief Joseph LoShiavo suffered from a seizure disorder.

"Instead of supporting public safety, especially our police officers who are responsible to protect the safety and security of Stratford (residents), our current mayor has debased our once-proud public safety agencies," Harkins said.

Harkins also defended his environmental record, pointing to "the active role I took with our residents to resolve the issue of Raymark waste in our town. I am the proud co-sponsor of recently passed (state) legislation that protects our neighborhoods from the consolidation of toxic (Raymark) waste. The mayor has not done anything on this issue, and has taken no firm stance."